some do, and i turn them upside down to get the ball to drop into the hole.
as for pinching, its to stop or slow down the air getting out. you might try putting your finger over the hole to stop air getting out. befor you plug it

charlie wrote:some do, and i turn them upside down to get the ball to drop into the hole.as for pinching, its to stop or slow down the air getting out. you might try putting your finger over the hole to stop air getting out. befor you plug it

Needle nose plyers??? At risk of offending mixed company (I think Hana is the only girl)... pinch the base of of the nozzles like it was your girls ti&%tys!!! That's how we used to teach people on the beach. It'll get easier to do over time. That's how you will tell someone who hasn't been kiteing very long. You'll see them frustrated on the beach trying to figure out the nozzles on the struts.

Well, that may be a bad example, as what you are referring might require a, um, not so, um, aggressive approach. I wouldn't use needle nose pliers though, they will damage the valve before long. Just use your fingers to squeeze hard to keep the air in, it's just a matter of getting used to.